Here's looking at you
by Renea
Summary: Set between Chapters 3 and 4 of Introduction XD DeiOC ish COMPLETE
1. Build with one hand

Hi! XDD umm... I know I say this alot, but yeah XDD not sure why I uploaded this. So... DeiOC-ISH thing XDD I think it;d be too early to actually call it DeiOC at all XDD This takes place in between chapters 3 and 4 of "Introduction" this other thing I wrote... So, unless you've read that, I'm afraid it probably won't make sense.

Like I said, I didn't mean to make this like...DeiOC ish, really XD She fonds him intriguing, that's all XDD Sorry if it doesn;t seem that way. Oh! And I also apologize in advance for any like... OCC ness, or mary sueishness in this crap-tastic piece of writing. 

Aw man XDD Do I ever hate picking titles for things XDD I'm sorry this one's so lousy.

And now, of course... Disclamer time! XD

Naruto: Masashi kishimoto

* * *

If someone had told me a week ago that I'd soon be fixing the arm of an S-ranked criminal I met at a restaurant an hour and a half earlier, I'd have called them crazy. But here I am.

I rechecked the joints, bending them to check for an unusual resistance that could indicate a problem, felt the alignment of the bones, checked the circulation one more time... Everything seemed to be in order. I even poked at the mouth in the palm of his previously lifeless hand, jumping back slightly when it gently began to nibble at my finger, completely of it's own accord.

I couldn't help but be suspicious of Deidara. He did indeed appear to be asleep, his eyes flickered and moved beneath his eyelids, and his breathing was deep, and steady. But part of me wondered why. To leave yourself vulnerable, in front of someone you just met... Especially when you know they're probably insane... It didn't make sense. I looked down at the weapon I still had attached to my belt, then back at the sleeping iwa nin. He was out like a light. I could just leave... Or even kill him if I wanted to. It'd be all too easy.

When I look back on everything, my own sensei never let me out of his sight for a moment. Daisuke and Kichiro, my teammates, would go together if splitting up was necessary, and kept me with himself. He was afraid I'd hurt them, I suppose. Kichiro eventually stopped trusting me as well. So the concept of a stranger falling asleep, leaving himself helpless, knowing what I'm capable of... was unimaginable. Insane.

So, it had occurred to me that he was faking, somehow. Perhaps to get the better of **_me, _**for reasons I hadn't considered,once I let my guard down. It was impossible to tell if his mechanical eye was closed.

Or, maybe he really was sleeping. Perhaps time as an S ranked ninja simple makes one incredibly arrogant... Maybe he just trusted me. Part of me desperately wanted it to be the latter. But that was wishful thinking. No shinobi **_truly_** trusts. It's not in our nature.

Something I had learned too late.

My doubts began to set in, and I looked back up at him quickly, half expecting to see him staring at me, maliciously. But he wasn't. What I saw made me pause for a moment, before moving the slightest bit closer.

He let out a happy little sigh, that was closer to a chuckle, rolling over sleepily. There was this tiny, childlike, **_impish_** smile forming across his face. He actually looked sort of... sweet.

When I had sat down in the restaurant, I had done all I could to avoid eye contact, though, as I had been sitting on his left side, I had hardly needed to. I'd also kept my gaze away from his face while examining his arm initially, looking only at whatever I was inspecting. I'm not sure why, but something about meeting his eye sent a chill down my spine.

It didn't make me feel scared, or nervous... Just Uneasy. Like he was looking at me **_just a bit_** too closely. As a result, I'd never really gotten a good look at him, just quick glances, here and there.

I took a moment to roll up his right sleeve just a bit further. Sure enough, around his shoulder, were little white marks, that could only be left by stitches received a while back.

"_Yeah... Kakuzu- this other guy in the organization-stitched it back on, un. Of course, he couldn't actually fix it, like, the broken bones and stuff... So it's not much good." _

At the time, I hadn't really believed him. To my knowledge, it's impossible to stitch an arm back on. But apparently, that isn't the case. There was something rather depressing about his empty, left sleeve, which was rolled up and pinned to his shirt. I could see the faint outlines of old scars, along his arm, that most likely continued to his chest. Not cuts, burns. It seems Deidara had a accident a few years ago. Blown himself up, undoubtedly. I realised that my finger had began to trace the pale lines mechanically, and to my relief, I saw him stir, but not wake. At some point, I'd moved quite a bit closer to him, without really meaning to, and, now more confident that he was indeed asleep, examined my 'partner' more closely.

My eyes travelled upwards, to his face. He looked young, about my age, perhaps a bit older. Eighteen, nineteen... Somewhere around there. The long, dark eyelashes of his closed eye looked almost feminine- but he was definitely male. His jaw was a bit to wide, his voice a bit to deep, his shoulders a little to broad...

It occurred to me that I should feel nervous, or at least awkward, about spending so much of my time around a man. But it was nothing unusual, for me. My teammate, Daisuke kun had been my best friend, and we had spent the majority of our free time together without incident. I simply enjoyed his company.

I looked back at Deidara for a long moment, studying his long, shiny, straw coloured hair. That ponytail of his... He probably didn't usually sleep with it in. It would be uncomfortable. I reached over, and undid the hair-tie that kept it in place.

I just studied him for a moment longer. Somehow, he looked less intimidating this way. Probably because he looked about three inches shorter without his ponytail. Actually, he was probably only an inch or so taller than myself, though I've always been on the tall side, for a girl.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I brushed his bangs away from his face, inspecting the device attached where he left eye should have been. I didn't know if it came off, and worried that if he slept with it on, it may become damaged, or even damage his eye, itself. After a while, I reassured myself that it did NOT come off, and was intended to be left as it was. It appeared to actually be **in** his eye socket. I also removed his hitai-ate, something I was sure he probably didn't sleep in.

I had done what I could for the arm, but Deidara's body would have to do the last finishing touches itself. He needed rest. I slipped my arm over his shoulder, and tried to drag him over to the bed as carefully as I could. He had volunteered to sleep on the couch tonight, but the bed was closer, and there was only so far I could tow him without him waking. I was strong enough to carry his weight of course, but trying to move a person is awkward. Besides, he had already thrown a pillow on to the couch, that I could just as easily use. It definitely beat sleeping outside.

I watched as he sleepily made himself comfortable under the sheets, that same, grin on his face. More than anything, he somehow looked pleased with himself.

I then found my thoughts returning to why I was here in the first place. I still couldn't figure out what had possessed me to follow him out of that restaurant in the first place. Or why I had decided to help him. I found Deidara intriguing, yes, but that alone would hardly explain anything.

Perhaps... I just needed to be wanted, right now. To be trusted... We're taught young that missing nin are scum. Cowards, who abandon their homes for their own wicked purposes. But when Deidara had explained their organization to me, it really hadn't sounded much different than what a village does. All Shinobi kill. If I understood correctly, the target assigned to the place I've been asked to fill doesn't even have a human host... If anything, I'd be doing more killing at home, or wandering around on my own.

I removed my belt, and the weapon attached to it, and set it down in the far corner of the room, deciding that I was much too tired to be thinking. I sighed, and fell onto the couch, deciding to wait, and see what the morning brought.

I was asleep before I hit the pillow.

* * *

crappy, I know nn;; Sorry anyways, thank you very much for reading it! 


	2. Destroy with the other

XD ok, chapter two of this! XDD Since we have no idea what Deidara's past was like, I've taken quite a few creative liberties XD So, like... Yeah XD sorry if that's annoying. Anyways! Thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoy it:D

( Oh! And again, my friend's character, Ryuu, is mentioned alot. So, yeah, Ryuu belongs to "General Rins")

Naruto: Masashi Kishimoto

Ryuu: Rin

* * *

I groaned, as my eyes opened, before rolling back over, determined to go back to sleep, un. After a moment, I propped myself up on my elbow, as it registered that this was far too bright to be my own room.

I looked the room over, as the previous evening's events returned to me, un. I actually jumped, giving a small yelp as I realised I was leaning back on my previously useless arm. A small sound from the direction of the couch quieted me. Gin was still asleep.

I took a moment to examine my hand, fluttering my fingers, turning my wrist, the mouth on my palm chomping contentedly on a bit of my bed sheets. She'd definitely done a good job, un. I was surprised she had at all, and even more surprised that she was still here. Pleasantly surprised, though.

It took me a moment to work up the motivation to drag my behind out of bed- The beds here were _**much** _nicer than at home- and to the bathroom, un. I took extra precautions insuring that the door was locked. I wanted to spare us both the awkwardness of her accidentally walking in on me in the shower. The showers were also much nicer here. Water only stays hot for so long in a cave, un. So I did what I had to. showered, dried off, fixed my hair, redressed.

I had managed to do alright on my own, and I was sure that the two of us would be able to find food and water for a two day trip back to the river country on our way there, un, but this would be a perfect opportunity to get supplies, just in case.

I grabbed my cloak on my way to the door, but stopped before leaving the room. Something had caught my eye, un. I headed over to the corner where Gin's weapon lay. The chain was coiled haphazardly, the weight attached the end underneath. The blade of the kama, attached at the chain's other end, glinted ominously, in the sunlight the windows allowed into the room.

I suddenly felt compelled to try picking it up myself, un. I dropped it, though, in surprise. I hadn't expected it to be so heavy, and the clatter it had made seemed to have almost woken Gin again, un.

I took a moment, before taking a few tentative steps towards the sleeping Kunoichi. Gin was curled up on the couch, snuggled closely against the pillow resting on the arm of chair. A tiny, contented smile lit her face. She seemed to be dreaming something nice.

My attention returned to my once again functional hand, testing my wrist, and fingers, again. This hadn't been the first debilitating injury I had received, un.

I was eleven, when I first began **_truly_** experimenting with my artistic medium. As such, It was a while before I learned to get the ratios right, chakra, clay...I'd injured myself that way a lot, un. The first time I ever tried anything on a larger scale, I'm afraid to say that the whole thing literally blew up in my face. Of course, after week or so in Iwagakure's hospital, the severe burns on my arms and chest had healed up nicely, though the scars would never **_really _**go away, un. I had been almost good as new. Almost.

A piece of flying rock had gotten me in the eye. They told me they couldn't save it, un.

It took a while, but I did adjust to my situation, and continued with my work, same as ever. But something had definitely changed. I became fascinated with everything around me, what I could see with my one good eye. It suddenly occurred to me what I had taken for granted, un. How anything could be taken away in the blink of an eye. What I saw, once it **_was_** taken away.

In a strange, terrifying way...It was beautiful.

My techniques, my **_art, _**as my newfound philosophy had compelled me to see it, became an obsession. I worked, and practised, over and over, and as I did, the perfection of what was there only a moment ago became clearer and clearer to me, un. And as it did, I became stronger. Stronger than I could have ever imagined. Strong enough for Senpai to take an interest.

I had jumped at the chance to join, un. Something new. Something exciting. I had been partnered with Ryuu's predecessor, the first wearer of the Byakko ring. I wasn't all that close to them, un. Though he had been partnered with Orochimaru at the time, Saosri Danna had immediatly taken an interest in me. More specifically, my eye, un. At first, I had objected to his fixing it in some way. It seemed to go against my beliefs, but I was soon persuaded, since it would help me improve my art. Danna, being the genius he was, soon created the mechanical contraption that he attached directly to my damaged eye.

Soon after, my partner was killed, and Ryuu was brought to replace them. She had respectfully declined the position as my partner, un, saying that she would be far more comfortable working alone. Then Orochimaru left, and I was put with Sasori Danna. It was then that I learned why he had been so hell-bent on fixing my eye.

In all my years, I have never seen a bigger perfectionist than Akatsuna no Sasori. It drove him insane when things didn't work properly, un. A gear on his puppet, a defective kunai, a faulty light switch... I soon understood why my potentially-useful eye had driven him up the wall. I once made the mistake of asking him why it had bothered him, while Ryuu clearly didn't.

"_Ryuu is blind. For a blind person, her eyesight is as it is. She is as she was made to be. You, Deidara, were simply flawed ."_

Danna and I had disagreed all the time, un. Over art, mostly. I had always respected Danna's view, though, even if he didn't mine. I had to. After all... It as**_ his_** mechanical eye in my socket.

I sighed. Our arguments were a thing of the past now. Though, in my mind, that was a good thing, un.

That was something about Gin. We could never have that discussion. Firstly, Gin was many things, but never claimed to be an artist of any kind. And, simply by the Kunoichi's nature, I could tell now that she would never be able to understand my point of view, un. Gin was a medic. A medic's purpose is to prolong, to repair.

Watching the sleeping kunoichi reminded me of my mechanical eye's one major drawback. I have absolutely no peripheral vision. The device can only see directly in front of the lense. I can't move my eye either, and If I want to follow a target, I have to actually move my head. Like an owl, or something, un. So, basically, besides not being able to see out of the corner of my left eye by any means, it leaves me with a blind spot the size of a baseball. Which was distracting, if nothing else. I'd found it easier just to cover it up, and my hair had done that nicely. Basically, I can only use one eye at a time, un. My right most of the time, and my left for zooming in on targets from the air. But anyways.

When Gin had sat down on my **_left_** side the night before, I'd had a bit of a problem identifying her discreetly, un. I'd gotten enough to match her to her description, and after that, I had never really gotten a good look at her. It looked like she'd been avoiding eye contact, un.

I knelt next to the couch, studying her closely. I'm an artist, observing things is what I do, un. Gin was tall, for a girl, which was funny, considering that Ryuu, our only other girl, was the tiniest human being I had ever seen. Gin's hair was an strange colour, un. I had thought it was gray, but now that I looked more closely, in the daylight, it was actually blue. From what I could see, Gin's nose was rather pointed, but the rest of her features were hidden, un, as her hair was in the way... I stopped.

Gin flinched as my hand brushed her bangs from her face. She was warm. It was then I really realised how different she was from my last partner, un. Gin was a work of flesh and blood, like myself. She was much more fragile than Danna had been.

Unlike him, she'd be vulnerable to cold, hunger, thirst, fatigue, sickness, pain... I'd also have to be careful how I... **_expressed myself artistically _**around her. One slip up, and that would be it, un. Gin couldn't simply put herself back together.

I got to my feet, as I had wanted to go get some supplies. I remembered halfway down the hallway that, if Gin were to wake up before I got back, that she'd have absolutely no idea where I was, or if I even planned on returning at all. She'd probably leave, un. It had taken me a considerable amount of time to track her down in the first place. I did**_ not _**want to have to do it again.

So, after a little searching, I found a pad of paper in the room. I found a pen, had another short 'Holy crap I can use my hand again' moment, and started to write. I glanced out the window, and caught sight of a few little birds, hopping around on a tree outside. I like birds, un. I watched them for a minute, and my mind began to wander again, my hand lazily tracing little eyes, little beaks and wings in the corners of the paper.

A strange thought dawned on me. It would be strange, not being the pair's subordinate anymore. Gin was new to the organization. Heck, she was new to being a missing-nin. I had no doubts as to her capabilities, ninjutsu wise, un. She'd definitely be alright there. Her main problem would probably be fitting into the group, when we've all been together, without any additions, since Hidan joined us a few years ago, un. Though, I did think they might like her. But, then again, I wasn't entirely sure wether I liked her, myself. I had just met her, really.

But it wouldn't really matter if I didn't. Senpai had given me an choice, un. Find someone, or we put you with Tobi. I hate Tobi. **_Anyone _**would've been better than Tobi. No, wait- I take that back, un. Orochimaru was definitely worse. At least Tobi I could pummel if he really got on my nerves.

I looked down at the paper, which was now overrun by bird doodles, and scribbled a quick, "_Gin San,Gone to get supplies. Back soon." _I paused, and looked down at my hand, before adding, "_PS: Thank you sooo much, un!_" I quickly tacked it to the back of the door with a shuriken I had found in my cloak somewhere.

This whole 'New partner' experience, wether enjoyable or not, would certainly be interesting.

I left the room once again, throwing one last glance over my shoulder at the sleeping ame-nin, who gave a happy little sigh, and rolled over. I smiled, as the door shut behind me with a click.

* * *

Ok So! Thank you all very much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review, and have a nice day:3 


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